March Happenings

It's Spring!  Or at least that's what the calendar says ...

 

We are expecting accumulating snow tonight and the weather has been cold and windy.  We've had snow flurries in the air.  But the robins are back and I've heard birds singing early in the morning, so I am holding out hope that the spring weather will soon follow!

 

Treasure continues to do therapy visits, except when I am sick and need to stay home to avoid infecting everyone.  Today we spent the afternoon at the pet expo.  Treasure LOVES the pet expo!  She gets admired and pet by so many people, gets to meet and greet friendly dogs, and I usually buy her some special treats while we're there.  She met potbellied pigs, alpacas, a big tortoise, and reptiles.  There were bunnies and cats and birds and other small critters.  We always hand out cards and do a lot of talking to educate people about merle/merle breedings and about the wonders of dogs with different abilities! 

 

Treasure with alpacas at pet expo.

Earlier in the month, the dogs joined me as helpers at the Healing Touch for Animals workshop.  Treasure and Owen are well-seasoned helpers, and Jazzy and Vegas went along as newbies.  Jazzy attended one workshop last year when she was a puppy, but this was Vegas' first time.  He was very good for a very long day.  He's six months old now, so I was impressed that he was able to entertain himself for the whole day.

 

Owen (using toy as pillow), Jazzy, Treasure (nose poking out of pen) and Vegas (looking other way) - at HTA workshop, just hanging out in their pen waiting for some action.

Vegas, six months old

Vegas graduated from puppy class this month!  I'm trying out a new approach to teaching him k9 nosework.  I'll talk more about that as I see how it goes!  Vegas is learning new tricks.  He can go through a tunnel, spin right and left, and can shake hands.  He loves to give kisses, but doesn't quite do it on cue yet.  We're working on roll over.  It's hard to believe that he's only been here for about 8 weeks!  He fits in so well here, it seems that it's been so much longer! 

 

Happy Spring!

 

 



 

 

Vegas update

It's been a busy week for Vegas!  He had his first puppy class Tuesday night.  He showed me some really nice responses to his sit and down touch cues.  I wasn't expecting that and was pleasantly surprised!  I'm using the same signals that I use with Treasure for now - touch on top of his tail means sit, three quick taps on his front toes means lie down.  A quick double tap on top of his whithers is his marker/clicker signal.  To play the name game, I use blowing lightly on him and then reward him looking in my direction.  I just introduced this at class, but he caught on quickly.  We worked on him keeping the leash loose, which hasn't been an issue for him, and he did a little bit of laying quietly on his mat. 

 

 

At home, we are working on luring spin and twist, putting two front feet up on an object, shaking hands, and grabbing his collar for a treat.  We do a lot of training in the bathroom!  There is a necessity for me to be in the bathroom several times each day, and it is a small room with few distractions.  Taking Vegas to the bathroom with me allows me to keep an eye on him, but also affords me a few minutes alone with him without the other dogs around.  I keep his treats cut up in a baggie in the fridge so I can just grab the bag.  This allows me to get in several short training sessions every day. 

 

I find myself expecting him to see things.  Maybe it's because he has visible eyes?  Maybe it's because he can see some?  Whatever the reason, I try to lure him or expect him to see and respond, and then I'm surprised when he doesn't.  He can see and quickly respond to my hand moving up or down right in front of his face, but cannot usually locate my hand held a foot from his face while I'm trying to lure him.  I need to start the lure at his nose for him to smell and then get him to move after it. 

 

 

He still jumps on me a lot.  I think perhaps it helps him to keep track of where I am in space. I am trying to always reinforce him for keeping all feet on the floor.  He comes near me and offers a sit, but then turns his head back and forth looking up, trying to find me.  Often he is looking in a different direction.  But he gets around so well that most of the time it's hard to realize that he has trouble seeing.  He's quick to follow any movement, but he sees it, goes in its direction, and then is sort of lost until he gets close to the object.  If the movement stops, he searches until he finds it. 

 

Jewell left for the next step of her journey this week, heading to her new home in Maine.  Vegas looked for her a bit the first night.  I had done a good job making sure they had one-on-one time, though.  He is very content now, whether alone with me or with the other dogs.  He is playing with toys more now and is beginning to understand how to play the tug game with me.  The other dogs are including him more in their games, and I see them adapting their games so he can join in.  They run slower and stay closer to him to keep him interested in the game.  They play some games with him much more gently than they do with each other. 

 

Vegas has been here almost one month.  He's really fitting in well here and learning oh, so much!  

Nosework Class Photos

Some pictures from nosework class yesterday with Treasure ...

Hide is in front grill.  Feeding her at source.

Practice ORT - birch

Hide in hanging lantern. Food and tennis ball distractions hidden under pink tarp.

Hide in crack in floor mats

Socialization

I've spent the past two weeks trying to socialize two puppies.  I've had many dogs and puppies come through my home.  I know the value of early socialization, but I am also amazed at some of the dogs I've fostered that have never left their home and backyard that are very stable and well-socialized dogs.  Then there are the dogs that have lived their lives in solitary cages and they are frightened by literally everything!  One of my dogs that had extensive and careful socialization since birth has grown up to be sensitive to noises and strangers.  It seems that there must be more to socialization than just exposing your puppy to anything and everything as young as possible.

 

I've tried to get each puppy some individual socialization as well as socializing them together.  Much socialization can be done at home.  Socialization is getting your dog used to novel stimuli, so they see there is nothing to fear.  Dogs are naturally cautious of new things.  The more new things they learn to trust, the more trusting they will become of novel stimuli.

 

Vegas

At home they have learned to use food dispensing toys, to eat out of different types of dishes, to eat in a crate and in different rooms.  They have been exposed to new and different surfaces, toys and bones with different textures, obstacles to go through, over and around.  They have been exposed to dogs of different breeds and ages, learning to respect that the older dogs may not want to play, and learning about the different play styles of each dog.  They have been exposed to sunglasses, big floppy hats, bulky coats and gloves, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, noises, men, women and children.  They are never forced to investigate or interact.  They are free to leave the situation if they feel overwhelmed, to stand at a distance and observe if they feel like it.  Then, when they are feeling more comfortable, they come to investigate on their own.  They will normally leave and come back over and over again until their curiosity is quenched and they realize there is nothing else to be concerned about. 

 

In public, I've chosen low key places to take them when I have plenty of time to allow them to observe and approach as they are ready.  Although I have always been careful not to push my puppies past their comfort levels, I have done some things in the past that may not have been in my puppies' best interests.  When carrying a small puppy into new environments, he may ride quietly in my arms leading me to the mistaken impression that he is not concerned with the environment around him, letting others pet him and coo to him.  But in reality, he doesn't feel like he has any escape if he's not comfortable.  When walking with a puppy, using food to lure him to come closer is not the best approach either, but it is one I have used in the past.  Has it gotten the puppy to come closer?  Yes, often it does, but he is not coming closer because he feels comfortable.  He is coming forward only for the food, and we often don't take the time to notice the difference.

 

This time I am doing things differently.  I am not taking the puppies to places where I need to get someplace on a schedule.  I am not taking them anyplace where I cannot just sit and watch with them if that's what they want to do.  Socialization is not about my agenda and what I want them to be exposed to.  Socialization is completely about each individual puppy's agenda and how he/she feels at each given moment.  Only the puppy can tell us if we are on the right track.  We must make each outing just about the puppy.  Usually in public, the puppy must be on a leash.  The leash prevents him from moving away and creating more space between him and something or someone that he is concerned about.  We must be aware at every moment about what our puppy is telling us.

 

Jewell is bolder about jumping into new situations and will often barge right in to see what's going on.  This could give me a false sense of security that she is comfortable with each situation.  Once she's in that situation, however, she wants to take a quick survey of the situation and then she may want to back off and watch for a little bit before barging back in.  Sometimes she stays for awhile and then decides it's time to leave and take a break.  If she is greeting someone and then moves away from that person, it is not by accident.  She is telling us that she needs a break.  It is not fair to allow the person to continue to follow her, forcing her to interact.  Nor is it fair for me to pull her back to the person with the leash, also forcing her to stay closer than she is comfortable.  Instead, I make a comment to the person that she wants to go sniff over there now, and I go with her.  My comment helps to appease the person a bit while we walk away.  She may then decide to seek that person out again in a moment or two, or she may not.  Either is fine.

 

Vegas, perhaps because he doesn't see much at all, is a bit more cautious.  He is a follower and if I have other dogs along, he will follow them into the situation if they are comfortable with it.  When he is alone, he is hesitant to walk into new situations where there is a surface change or if the color of the surface changes.  I need to be able to take the time to sit down at those thresholds and let him decide to come with me on his own, rather than trying to force him to come with me.  He is always so proud of himself when he figures it out!  In a new environment, he prefers to watch from my arms at first.  I don't allow anyone to interact with him at this time.  I just hold him while he looks around and becomes familiar with the new smells and sensations.  When he's ready, I put him on the ground and we just stand.  I wait.  When he is ready, he will begin to move around sniffing everything.  At that point, he usually goes very quickly in this direction and that, and I follow him as long as it's safe to do so.  I don't let him get into a situation that could be dangerous for him.  I instruct people who want to greet him to kneel down to his level.  I explain to them that he doesn't see very well, so they should wait for him to approach them.  Once he approaches them, I ask them to pet him gently under the chin on his chest. 

 

Jazzy was a super outgoing puppy.  I never saw anything worry her at all.  She was always very gung ho to greet anything and anyone in her environment!  When she went through adolescence, she became very cautious and fearful of people and new situations.  I knew that this can often happen with puppies of that age, but I still found myself getting concerned and wanting to step up or force socialization opportunities.  I wanted to fix the issue.  I had to make very conscious decisions to tell myself to just ride it low.  I did not hide Jazzy away during this time, but I kept everything low key.  I listened to her when she was overwhelmed and when necessary even removed her from certain situations.  Now, at a year and a half, she is becoming her more outgoing, social self.

 



Introducing Vegas and Jewell!

Vegas (left) and Jewell (right)

 

I've been trying to sit down and blog for the past week, but these new puppies are keeping me busy!  I'm a bit biased perhaps, but there is hardly anything cuter and sweeter than sheltie puppies.  These two babies are very large for sheltie puppies, and I need to keep reminding myself that they are still babies.  The fact that there are puppy teeth falling out all over the place helps a bit with that!  But they are the same size as my largest adult shelties and they are 4 months old!  Vegas and Jewell are double merle littermates.

 

Vegas is deaf and appears to be mostly blind.  Although he compensates so well that often I begin to second guess my assumptions!  It is a pleasant surprise that he is able to see even a little bit, as we were told that he was completely blind and deaf before he arrived.  He appears to be able to see large shapes and movement.  He has trouble pinpointing and tracking movement and will often startle at a movement and then look for it in the wrong place. 

 

He can't seem to differentiate between shapes.  If I stand still near anything else, he loses track of me.  His left eye seems stable.  The pupil is small and facing downward.  The right pupil is quite large and pointed upward, yet his eye drifts and shifts and is often partially covered by the third eyelid.  He squints excessively in sunlight.

 

Jewell seems to be functionally deaf, although she may hear some loud noises and dogs barking.  She doesn't appear to be able to locate those sounds, however.  I don't think her eyesight is normal, but she seems to see well.  She tracks movement and can see hand signals.  She loves to chase toys and the other dogs.  She also loves to jump onto and off the furniture!  She can look around the room and see where I am, which Vegas cannot do.

 

 

 

A couple weeks ago, these two babies were brought to the attention of sheltie rescues nationwide.  Through the network of rescues and their dedicated volunteers, these two babies embarked on a four-day transport journey from Nebraska to Pennsylvania.  I am totally amazed at the dedication of the rescue groups that I'm associated with.  Thank you to all the rescues and volunteers who helped get these puppies on their way to their new lives! 

Quality of Life for Blind and Deaf Dogs

 

 

I received a lot of great ideas for new blog posts - Thank you so much for those.  I'm always looking for ideas to write about that will be useful to each of you as readers.  One idea that truly intrigued me was to discuss what quality of life a blind and deaf dog can have.  I think it caught my interest because I had never thought about my dogs not having a good quality of life.  I began to think about how we measure quality of life and why.

 

I have had many dogs in my life over the years, and there have been times when I have made the decision to euthanize them when they no longer had a good quality of life.  Of course, this was always based on my opinion, the veterinarian's opinion, and the fact that I knew those dogs very well.  Pain is perhaps the biggest reason I would make this decision.  If the pain could not be controlled and if it was affecting the dog's daily activities.  If she no longer showed any interest in the activities that she used to love - then, in my opinion there is a loss of quality of life.

 

But now, I wonder, how do others measure quality of life.  Why would people think that blind/deaf  dogs don't have a good quality of life?  And were they seeing something that I was not?  I searched the internet, hoping to find some ideas.  I found this quality of life scale on a veterinary site.

 http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-practice-news-columns/bond-beyond/quality-of-life-scale.aspx

 

I'm going to use some of the ideas that are mentioned there to address my own blind/deaf dogs.  Of course, every situation is different, so I can't make any recommendations as to the quality of life for all blind/deaf dogs.

 

The first consideration is pain level and ease of breathing.  This is more of a health related issue that would not be dependent upon the dog's ability to see or hear.  My dogs are healthy and pain-free at the current time.

 

The second and third sections pertain to eating and hydration.  My dogs are able to eat and drink normally on their own.  They are a good weight.  Again, this seems like more of a health related issue.

 

The next section is about hygiene.  My dogs have no difficulty staying clean (although they do like to roll in the mud sometimes!)  They have no open and oozing sores.  Treasure does have many skin cysts, but they are not dangerous and don't cause her any discomfort.  The vet and I keep an eye on them in case they change.

 

 

 

The next consideration is happiness.  I think maybe this is one that most people wonder about with a blind/deaf dog.  The questions suggested on the scale are: does the dog express joy and interest? Is the dog responsive to things around her?  Is the dog depressed, lonely, anxious, bored or afraid?  Can the dog be included in family activities or is she isolated?

 

My dogs are all members of the family.  We spend a lot of time together as a family group.  They certainly express joy and interest in the activities going on around them.  They wag their tails.  They play.  They seek out affection.  They are responsive to things going on around them, reacting to air currents changing, movement and vibration, smells, the actions of other family members.  My dogs are not depressed or anxious.  I have no questions that my dogs are happy and content, and I do work hard to keep them that way.

 

Mobility is next.  My dogs have no problem with getting around.  I do manage the environment to keep them safe, but there is really not too much to do once the environment is set up safely for them. 

 

The last section says that there are more good days than bad.  For my dogs, each day has more good in it than bad.  Keeping my dogs enriched and happy is a huge part of my responsibility as a dog owner.  If I was not able to give my dogs what they needed, it might mean that I was not the most suitable home for them, but it would not necessarily mean that my dogs had a bad quality of life and should not live.

 

I can honestly say that my blind/deaf dogs have a wonderful quality of life.  Some people think that a blind/deaf dog can't possibly have a good quality of life.  They wonder what enjoyment a dog can possibly get out of life if she can't see and hear.  But dogs live in a world full of so  much more than sights and sounds.  Their lives are rich in smells and vibrations.  A dog that is born blind and deaf never learns to rely on her sight and hearing.  She doesn't know that she's any different.  She learns from the time she is born to explore and enjoy her world. 

 

Even my older dogs that have lost their sight and hearing from age, are still enjoying their lives.  Sure, there is an adjustment period where they may have to learn to rely on other senses and to do things a bit differently than they are used to.  That is to be expected.  But they still enjoy their walks and belly rubs and mealtimes.  They love to sniff around in the yard and find something to roll in.  They may even still enjoy that favorite bone. 

 

I hope the quality of life scale may be of good use to you, and thank you for the wonderful suggestion for this post.  It caused me to stop and think about what quality of life means, not just to me, but to others.  I hope that anyone who questions my dogs' quality of life watches the videos of Treasure and Jasmine and sees them having fun in all activities.  I hope we can change minds to realize that those with differences are not bad or to be thrown away.  When given the chance, they can blossom and teach us so much - and, they can have wonderful quality of life. 

 

 

 

 



Quote to share

 

"My disability will always be a piece of me, but if it's the only part of me you
recognize, then you've only scratched the surface of who I am."

 

 

 

 

The above quote was shared with me by a friend through a friend.  We have no idea who is the originator of the quote - if you know, please do comment and let me know so I can give him/her credit. 

 

What struck me most about this quote, is that it says so well what I try to impress upon people when they first meet Treasure.  Yes, she is blind and deaf.  There is nothing that anyone can do to change that.  But there is so much more to know about her than that.  She is an amazing animal, not because she is blind and deaf, but because of who she is.  It is only when you take the time to get to know her that you realize the depth of her presence.  Thank you Pam and Mike for sharing this wonderful quote with Treasure and I.